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and his atonement, being infinitely valuable in itself, is considered, as such, a sufficient ransom for all.

Obs. 88. The design of the covenant of grace was to deliver the elect out of their state of sin and misery, and to bring them into a state of salvation.

The great end which Christ has in view in the administration of the covenant is, that elect sinners may be brought out of a state of sin and misery, into a state of salvation; and this he does by bringing them personally and savingly within the bond of the covenant.

When Christ administers the covenant to the elect, who alone are the objects of its peculiar administration, he bestows upon them all things, which he is empowered to bestow, by way of a testament,-every thing necessary for their recovery and everlasting happiness.-Luke xxii. 29. And the means by which a sinner is put in possession of all these blessings, is faith, which is likewise his gift.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. How mysterious the ways of God are to the children of men. 2. The duty of submission to the ways of God. 3. To beware of curiously searching into the hidden things of God; but to seek after scriptural views of him. 4. The sovereignty of the grace of God. 5. The necessity of self-examination, whether or not we are interested in the electing love of God. 6. The necessity of making our calling and election sure; seeing the decree of God is not our rule, and we are to act as if there were no decree. 7. The amazing love of the Eternal Trinity to a self-destroying world. 8. That if salvation could have been obtained in any other way than by a covenant of grace, so much would not have been done for the salvation of the sinner. 9. That this covenant is every way suitable to the case of sinners. 10. How worthy Jesus is of our highest love and esteem, who thus stood in the breach, that wrath might be averted. 11. That Christ is freely offered in the Gospel to all men, whatever their character may be. 12. That all are called to examine themselves, what part they have in this well-ordered covenant; whether they are yet brought within the bond of it, or whether they are still far from righteousness. 13. That it is the duty of all to believe that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world, and their Saviour

in particular, by the appointment of the Father, and by the offer of Christ himself. 14. That if we are not savingly interested in this covenant, we can have no hope beyond the grave; this being the only remedy for the sinner, and the Scripture having concluded all under sin. 15. That holiness is necessary, as the only way by which we can evidence our interest in the covenant of grace. 16. That, in every time of need, we ought to go to Christ himself for every thing of which we stand in need; seeing he is the administrator of the covenant, to whom all things are committed. 17. That all things shall work together for the good of those who are interested in the covenant. 18. The happiness of the believer, and the misery of the unbeliever, who is in a state of distance from the covenant of grace.

The person and character of the Redeemer.

The only Redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was and continueth to be God and man, in two distinct natures, and one person for ever.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,—

1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of God's elect. Gal. iv. 4, 5.—"God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law."-See also 1 Tim. ii. 5.

2. That Jesus Christ is the only Redeemer of man. Acts iv. 12.—“Neither is there salvation in any other."

3. That Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. Mark xvi. 16.—“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." See also Heb. i. 8.

4. That Jesus Christ became man. John i. 14." The Word was made flesh." See also Heb. ii. 16.

5. That Jesus Christ is both God and man. 1 Tim. iii. 16.—“ And, without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh." See also Rom. ix. 5.

6. That Jesus Christ possesses the natures of God and man in one person. Col. ii. 9.-" For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

7. That Jesus Christ will continue to be both God and

man for ever. Heb. vii. 24.-"But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood."

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 89.—The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Redeemer of God's elect.

It may be here remarked, that he is called Lord, because, as God, he is the Most High over all the earth; and, as Mediator, all power in heaven and on earth is committed to him, Matt. xxviii. 17; that he is called Jesus, because he saves his people from their sins,-Matt. i. 21; Luke i. 31; Acts iv. 12; and that he is called Christ, because he is the Anointed of the Lord. Christ in the Greek, and Messiah in the Hebrew language, signify the same thing, namely, Anointed,—which implies his designation unto, and his being fully qualified for his mediatorial office.-Psal. xlv. 7; Isa. lxi. 1; Prov. viii. 23; Psal. ii. 7, 8.

Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of God's elect. This name has evidently a reference to the redeemed. Hence it evidently implies bondage or captivity to sin, Satan, and the world, and to death and hell, because of the breach of the first covenant. And hence also we are called lawful captives.Isa. xlix. 24. To redeem, signifies to buy back what is in bondage or captivity; in which all mankind, without exception, are by nature.-Eph. ii. 1, &c. In order that Jesus Christ might redeem lost sinners, or deliver and rescue them, by power and conquest, out of the hands of Satan, and of every enemy, it was necessary that he should give a sufficient ransom to the offended justice of God. And this ransom he gave, when he offered up himself a sacrifice for sin; than which nothing more could be demanded, in order that the lawful captives might be set free, and made as though they had not been cast off.-1 Tim. ii. 5, 6; 1 Pet. i. 18.

Jesus Christ is said to be the only Redeemer, because none but he was capable of the arduous work of redemption, -Isa. lxiii. 5; none but he was set apart for it by God; none but he was sealed by the Father; none but he received a commission from him to lay down his life for his sheep; none but he is revealed as our Redeemer; and none but he was, in every respect, fitted and qualified for the work.

Obs. 90.-Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God.

He is not so called because of his office, as some suppose;

for, properly speaking, his office could never procure him the appellation of the eternal and only begotten Son of God; but he is the eternal Son of God by nature. The eternal Sonship of Christ is as natural and necessary, as it is natural and necessary for the first person to be called the Father. That it is clearly distinguished from his office, is evident from John vii. 29. "I know him; for I am from him, and he hath sent me:" where his being from the Father, with respect to his eternal generation, is clearly distinguished from his being sent by him, with respect to his office. The nature, however, of the eternal generation of the Son is altogether beyond our knowledge and comprehension; for saith the prophet, “ Who shall declare his generation?"-Isa. liii. 8. This passage may be applied, not only to the number of his seed, but also to his eternal generation.

Obs. 91.-Jesus Christ became man.

In order that Jesus Christ might be our Redeemer, it was necessary that he should become man; or, that he should be bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh.-John i. 14; Gal. iv. 4. We are not to suppose, however, that when he became man he ceased to be God: he became Immanuel-God with us, God in our nature.

It was necessary that Christ should be both God and man in one person; because, if he had not been so, he could not have been a Redeemer at all.

1. If he had not been God, he could not have endured that load of wrath which sin deserved; nor could his sufferings, which were but for a time, have been a sufficient satisfaction for sin.

2. If he had not been man, he could not have died; he could not have died in that very nature which sinned, which was absolutely necessary, seeing the law saith, "The soul that sinneth shall die;" he could not have had a fellow-feeling of our infirmities, and we should have had no intercessor in our nature at the Father's right hand.

Obs. 92.-Jesus Christ is God and man in two distinct natures and one person.

It is said that Jesus Christ is God and man in two distinct natures, to show, that the divine nature is not, by its union to the human nature, rendered finite, and that it does not lose its divine attributes, or those which belong to God; and to

show likewise, that the human nature does not, by its union to the divine, possess divine perfections; although, even as he is man, he is inconceivably superior to a mere man.

It is said that Jesus Christ is God and man in one person, to show, that, although the two natures are distinct, and possess their respective and essential properties, they are not divided in him; or, in other words, that he has not two persons. That the two natures are united in one person, is evident from Isa. ix. 6.-" Unto us a child is born; and his name shall be called, the Mighty God."

It was necessary that the Redeemer of God's elect, or the Mediator, should be both God and man in one person, for the following reasons:

1. That the proper works of each nature might be accepted by God for us, and relied on by us as the works of the whole person, God-man.

2. That he might be a proper Mediator between God and man; that he might be nearly allied to God, and likewise our near kinsman.-Acts xx. 28; 1 John i. 7.

3. That the interests of both parties-an offended God, and offending man-might be attended to; and that every thing necessary for a reconciliation might be effected.

4. That he might apply to us the purchased redemption. 5. That, in a word, in whatever relation he stands to us, his manhood might render it pleasant and delightful, inasmuch as he hath a fellow-feeling of our infirmities; and that his Godhead might render it efficacious, in respect of the blessings which each relation exhibits.

Obs. 93.-Jesus Christ will continue to be God and man in one person for ever.

The union of the two natures of Christ is indissoluble and everlasting; for, if he continue for ever as Mediator, which we are assured he will do, as an eternal bond of union between God and man, his manhood must also be retained for ever.— See Heb. vii. 25; Luke i. 32, &c.; Phil. iii. 21, and ii. 9, &c. It may here be remarked, that the union which subsists between Christ and believers, which is very close, and the union of his two natures, differ in the following respect :The two natures of Christ are but one person; whereas believers, although they are said to be in Christ and Christ in them, are never said to be one person with him.

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